Je T'Aime
by DarkShadowsFalling
Summary: Julia Hoffman will go many lengths to keep her Barnabas safe. But when the vampire's secret is close to being exposed, will she pay the ultimate sacrifice for her beloved?


**_Je T'Aime_**

**_By Lianna Estabrook_**

**_*A Dark Shadows AU Fan Fiction. Originally written for my 7th period Language Arts class in 7th grade, 2002. Many thanks to Mr. Nygren who encouraged me to write and who I think is still trying to figure out how I got the word melancholically into the seven syllable line of my Tanka poem XD Revised 9/17/08*_**

"I'm telling you, doctor, that if Woodard finds your journal, he will know what I am and then he can destroy me!" exclaimed Barnabas Collins, his usually dark, calm eyes flaring with a malice-laced flame.

"Barnabas, Dave couldn't possibly find that journal. It's locked away in my room," replied Dr. Julia Hoffman, brushing back her shoulder-length, auburn hair.

Barnabas looked up at her, cold disdain in his expression. "You mean, you haven't heard?"

"Haven't heard what?" she asked, turning towards him, the medical syringe she had prepared earlier clutched in her hand.

"First, give me the injection and then I'll tell you. Otherwise, I will never be cured," he said, rolling up his sleeve.

"You're a vampire, for God's sake. Surely you can wait a bit, at least long enough to tell me what you're talking about!"

"Julia, I am 218 years old! I've waited far too long. Now, please get this over with!"

Julia sighed and gingerly stuck the needle into the crook of his arm. She slowly let the serum run through his veins. She then used hydrogen peroxide to clean the little red spot that always formed.

She capped the syringe and threw it away. Barnabas pulled his sleeve down and put his suit jacket on, looking more like the aristocratic gentleman he was, rather than the vampire patient he hated to be.

"Now, what were you talking about, Barnabas?" Julia demanded, approaching him, her blue heels clacking annoyingly on the Maplewood floor.

"Woodard was found prowling around your room earlier today. He claimed to have been looking for the supposed family history you've been writing. In fact, he was rummaging through a metal box when Roger found him," Barnabas stated, looking at her disapprovingly.

She froze. A spasm of horror overtook her pretty face. Her almond-shaped, hazel green eyes widened. She glanced quickly at Barnabas, then at the wall behind him, her right hand flying to her throat.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He stood, moving to her. His right hand rested at her elbow, concern etched in his handsome face.

"We need to get to his office. Now! That metal box had the journal in it. He probably has it!" she exclaimed, grabbing her green tweed jacket, throwing it on over her neon-blue minidress.

Barnabas looked horrified. "Let's go then! I hope we're not too late!"

Julia paused for a moment. "Wait a minute. Get Willie to bring my car up. I have to run down to my lab for something." She took off down the stairs to the basement.

Barnabas called the young servant down and gave him the order. Willie Loomis rushed out and hurried back quickly, driving like a maniac.

Julia ran back up, carrying a small bottle filled with a light purplish liquid and a syringe. She pushed Barnabas into the car in a hurry. He barely had time to put on his black Inverness cape and grab his wolf's head cane with the silver handle.

As Willie floored the gas pedal of her black Bentley, Julia gave Barnabas a small flashlight and told him to shine the feeble beam onto the bottle and needle. She stuck the sharp point of the needle into the bottle and drew out as much liquid as she could. She then capped the needle and put it in her pocket.

Barnabas picked up the bottle and examined the remaining contents. He asked, "What is this, anyway?"

"It's a poison that, if the need arises, we can inject into Dave and it will look as though he had a heart attack. However, right now it is a still a regular poison, so Willie had better slow down. If Sheriff Patterson pulls us over, I'll have to explain why we have poison in the car…" She smiled a bit, hoping she didn't sound foolish to Barnabas.

He looked surprised and a little impressed. "You amaze me sometimes, Julia. You once told me that Woodard was the most brilliant student in your class in medical school. You were being generous. In actuality, I think he was the second most brilliant student in your class," he commented, the familiar suaveness entering his deep, rich voice.

Julia blushed slightly and replied, "They didn't take me as seriously as they could have. I am a woman, after all."

"My dear, I think in this case, it was a blessing."

Before Julia could question what he meant, they had pulled into the parking lot of Dr. Woodard's office. Julia glanced at the placard on the building with Dave's name on it.

She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt and a lump rise in her throat. But then she thought about what he could to Barnabas and those feelings flitted away like a bat in flight.

Barnabas helped her out of the car and leaned toward the driver's side window. "Willie, come with us. We might need you," he said quietly.

The three of them entered the building stealthily. They traipsed through the dark halls, the oppressing silence settling over them like a thick, suffocating blanket. They kept close to the walls, Julia in the lead, Barnabas close behind her, and Willie bringing up the rear.

As they neared the workroom, they could hear someone talking hurriedly and nervously.

"…tell the sheriff to be in his office in fifteen minutes. No more, no less. Why? I know who attacked all those women." They put the phone back on the receiver.

Julia put her hand on the doorknob and opened the door quickly. Dr. Woodard turned towards it and fear crossed his face.

"J—Julia!"

"Dave. Give me the journal and forget what you know. I know that you have it and I know that you read it, so don't give me that confused look," she said, approaching him slowly, Barnabas and Willie close on her heels.

The false blank look he had put on was suddenly gone. He smiled horribly and laughed, his face contorted in terrible ways, looking slightly deranged. He picked up the journal and put it in his pocket.

"Soon, Barnabas will no longer be a threat to society. I have cold, solid proof to get him staked and destroyed forever. And you, Julia…You will go to jail for concealing evidence from the police and aiding and abetting him. And I will be famous for exposing the creature that attacked all of those women!" he exclaimed, walking right up to them.

"Now listen to me, Woodard. If you go to the police, you will be signing your own death warrant. I will track you down and kill you before allowing you to tell them," said Barnabas, moving in front of Julia.

Dave sneered. "If I don't show up in that office in 15 minutes, the sheriff will coming looking for me. Then, he will know that I had valuable information, especially if I'm dead or missing."

"What if you're dead, but it looks natural? He might think that, in the throes of death, you called for help, thinking you could make it another 15 minutes."

"I'm a doctor, Collins. I wouldn't call him for help."

Julia stepped forward. "Please, Dave. Give me the journal. What happens if they don't believe you? What if they think you made it up? You know, my handwriting and your handwriting look very similar. They might think you're grasping at something so that the case will be closed," she said, trying to make him back off.

The confident look on Woodard's face faltered. Apparently, he hadn't thought of that.

"You're right, Julia…I forgot about our handwriting…How could I Have been so stupid?" He took the journal out of his pocket and turned it over in his hands. He then opened his desk drawer and put it in there.

"How could I have been so stupid to think that I needed the police to destroy you, when I'm prepared?!" He pulled a holly stake from the drawer and rushed towards Barnabas.

"NO!!!" Julia shouted and ran in front of him. The stake sunk deep into her stomach and crimson blood gushed from the wound. She let out an ear-piercing scream and crumpled to the ground in a heap, her hands clutching the stake.

"JULIA!!!" Barnabas rushed to her, kneeling down beside her. He pulled her into arms, trying to process what just happened.

Woodard looked at the blood on his hands and then at Julia. Utter terror crossed his features and he suddenly turned and ran. Willie looked to Barnabas for instructions.

"Go after him, you fool! And bring him back alive!" Barnabas shouted. Willie nodded and took off after the doctor.

Julia moaned and gripped the stake tighter. Barnabas looked down at her and placed his own hand on the stake. He loosened her fingers and pulled quickly. The stake came out slowly. Julia gasped in pain and hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

Barnabas grabbed Woodard's lab coat and pressed it to her would, trying to staunch the flow. He tossed the stake to the side and held Julia close.

"My God, what has he done to you? Why on Earth did you do that?" he mumbled.

"Because…I…I didn't want…you to die," she managed to say, her breath coming in short, painful gasps.

"I would rather have died than have this happen to you! If I'd have known this was going to happen, I wouldn't have let you come!" He gently stroked her cheek.

"How…could you poss—possibly know that…he would pull…something like…that?"

He was speechless. There was an odd stirring in his chest that surprised him. It was very familiar but he was afraid to name it.

"Julia, I'll get you to the hospital…" He started to move to pick her up.

She shakily placed a hand on his arm. "It's t—too late…I'm going…going to die…Take the…syringe…and give him the injection…"

He nodded and held her closer. He stroked the soft skin of her arm. "There was another reason for why you did that…wasn't there? Please…What was it?" he murmured gently.

She was quiet for a moment, save for her labored breathing. Then she replied, "There was…one page that…I…I ripped out of the…journal…It's in…my c—coat pocket…Read it…" She closed her eyes slightly, focusing on her breathing.

Barnabas reached into her coat pocket and found a folded piece of paper. He pulled it out and opened it. It read:

Dear Journal—

I believe that Barnabas is beginning to trust me. If only he knew how much I love him. Every day, I feel the heartache, but I know that he only loves Josette. His dear Josette who died so many years ago. Maybe one day, when her ghost is finally gone from his mind, he'll know my love…

Barnabas looked up from the paper. The feeling he'd been reluctant to think about. Love. True love. They had spent so much time together that he had grown to love her and now he knew that she felt the same.

"Julia, I never knew you felt this way. You should have told me."

"Why? You…you would have…laughed at me…"

"No, I wouldn't have. Julia…I love you as well. Once I began to trust you, affection for you grew. I was so blinded by my lingering love for Josette that I brushed what I felt for you aside. But that doesn't mean I didn't feel it. And…and now…now you're leaving me." A hard lump of grief was constricting his throat.

"No…I'm not…I'll be w—with you always…I'll…watch…over you and protect…you," Julia whispered.

Barnabas pulled her close. "Julia…there's no time to make this official, but…will you marry me?" he murmured.

Julia smiled weakly. "Y—yes."

Barnabas spoke quickly. "Do you, Julia Hoffman, take me, Barnabas Collins, to be your wedded husband, to love and cherish, forsaking all others, forever and always?"

Julia took his hand. "I…do…D—do you, Barnabas C—Collins, take m—me, Julia Hoff…man to be y—your w-wedded wife, to love and…cherish…forsaking all o—others…forever and always?"

Barnabas nodded. "I do, Julia." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled a ring from it. He'd found it in the basement of the Old House, weeks before. It was the ring he had meant to give Josette, but had never been able to.

He slipped it on Julia's left ring finger, surprised that it fit perfectly. For the first time since he'd purchased it 173 years before, the rubies and diamonds seemed to flash with a vibrant fire.

Julia looked down at it, surprised. "B—Barnabas…" She gasped and looked up at him. "You may…now kiss your…br—bride…"

Barnabas leaned down and claimed her rapidly cooling, soft lips. He drew her close to him, the kiss sweet but heart-wrenching. They held it for a moment, thinking of all the times they'd spent together. Finally, they parted.

"After you kill…Woodard, leave…leave the syringe…near me. It will…look like I…killed him…Don't argue…please." Her hand, caressing his cheek, dropped and she ceased to breathe. Her eyes closed and all life left her.

"Julia! No…God, no…" He buried his face in her neck and sobbed.

"Barnabas! I got 'im!" exclaimed Willie, dragging Woodard in by the scruff of his neck.

Barnabas looked up, rage overtaking his sorrow. He grabbed the needle and stood fast. He advanced on the doctor.

"She's dead, Woodard!" he snarled.

Woodard looked absolutely terrified. "It…it's not my fault! She got in the way…!"

Barnabas grabbed Woodard by his shirt lapel. "I don't care! The woman I love is dead because of your brashness! Whether or not she stepped in between is a moot point! She is dead, all because you wanted to be in the limelight. Well, I'll give you that chance! I'll let you be famous for the murder of a great doctor and amazing woman! I swear Julia's soul will be avenged!" With that, he drove the needle into Woodard's neck and injected the lethal poison into him.

The effect was immediate. The doctor turned pale and grabbed his chest. He gasped in pain and collapsed. His breath stopped. He was dead.

"He didn't deserve that easy a death, Barnabas," said Willie, looking at his Master.

"The main thing is that he's dead, Willie. Julia wanted it as painless as possible." He capped the syringe. Instead of placing it next to Julia, however, he pocketed it. He also took the journal from Woodard's desk drawer.

Willie placed a hand on Barnabas' shoulder. "C'mon, Barnabas. The cops'll be here soon."

"All right." Before leaving, he kissed Julia's cold hand. At the same time, he thought to himself, *I am alone again. No, I am not completely alone. I can't see Julia, but I can feel her. I have never felt Josette's presence…Perhaps I can bear what lies ahead.*

And then he turned, with one glance back, and followed Willie into his uncertain and heart-aching future.

Within minutes, the bodies of Julia and Dave Woodard were found. The police surmised what might have happened.

Woodard, who'd been acting strangely for a week or two, called Julia, claiming to know who had attacked the women in the town. Julia had rushed to Woodard's office, only to find him raving about vampires and ghosts and the like. (His journal corroborated this idea). When Julia tried to convince him otherwise, he turned on her, accusing her of being one of them. He'd staked her then, only to find that she was human. Shocked by his deed and finally succumbing to the stress, he suffered a major heart attack, and died.

Barnabas never disagreed. He told the sheriff that his wife of 48 hours (made official by one of Willie's more savory and gracious friends) had received a message to see Woodard right away and she'd left at 8:30. He hadn't seen her since.

Julia Hoffman-Collins was buried in Eagle Hill Cemetery, a member of the family. She never saw Barnabas' cure succeed (thanks to her abundant supply of the serum and her fore-thinking of teaching Willie how to give the injections) or the first time he saw sunlight in over 175 years. But he thanked her all the same.

His love for her was a living legend. On her tombstone, he had inscribed.

"Je t'aime, ma cherie

Toujours et Toujours"

"I love you, my dear  
Always and Always"

The End


End file.
